aldrick rosas

New York Giants: Stephen Gostkowski could be perfect fit if Aldrick Rosas is released

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New York Giants, Stephen Gostkowski

The New York Giants simply can’t get out of their own way this off-season, with the latest development being kicker Aldrick Rosas and his drunk driving accident. Rosas ran a red light going 100 mph, according to TMZ, hitting a car and fleeing the scene on foot.

Police picked up Rosas near the scene of the accident, as he was bloodied and bruised. They took him to the hospital to be evaluated before arresting him and putting him in county jail. The evidence seems quite stacked against Rosas, who was oddly drunk driving at 8:25 AM in the morning on Monday.

Ultimately, this now forces us to explore alternative options at the kicker position. One option that stands out is Stephen Gostkowski.

Why should the New York Giants target Stephen Gostkowski?

Gostkowski is the most experienced option currently available on the free-agent market, and his connection with Joe Judge makes him an excellent alternative to Rosas. Bringing in familiar faces with experience in a winning culture is essential, and Rosas being willing to put his professional job in the NFL in jeopardy gives another player an opportunity. Of course, it is fair to let the situation play out before making cemented judgments, but the evidence is quite clear of his wrongdoing. The Giants will likely begin scouring the free-agent market as a precaution anyway, and Gostkowski fits the bill nicely.

Gostkowski finished his 2019 campaign with a season-ending hip injury. Despite this development, Judge and Gostkowski had spent time together from 2015 to 2019. Judge was the Patriots’ special-teams coordinator during that time-span. However, the current free agent spent 14 seasons with the Pats as one of the best kickers in the NFL.

Stephen went 7 for 8 on field-goal attempts last season but only hit on 11 of 15 attempts from the extra point spot. This was the worst completion percentage of his career at 73.3, but it could be an outlier based on his statistical past.

Bringing in an established veteran should be a serious consideration for the Giants, and one that has a connection with their current head coach is obvious. However, I imagine the team will let things play out with the process before rushing to any judgment and making a premature signing. We will update you with any more information on the matter.

New York Giants: Three Options To Replace Aldrick Rosas

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New York Giants fans were, once again, greeted with some disappointing news today. The team’s starting kicker, Aldrick Rosas, has been arrested. According to TMZ Sports, Rosas has been arrested for allegedly crashing his car into another vehicle and then fleeing the scene. Officials believe Rosas may have been under the influence of alcohol.

The details of the incident are disturbing and there is not much room for optimism. Police officers found Rosas barefoot and bloody after fleeing the scene. Aldrick was also driving with a suspended license. A hit and run is a serious crime and it appears that Rosas has committed this crime. Police will soon confirm whether or not Aldrick was also driving under the influence.

Regardless of whether or not Rosas was drunk, this hit and run is an inexcusable and heinous action. The New York Giants need to find a new kicker. Fortunately, there are some solid options available for the Giants to consider.

Stephen Gostkowski

The first and most experienced option for the New York Giants is Stephen Gostkowski. New York Giants head coach Joe Judge has a connection with this kicker. Joe Judge served as the Patriots’ special teams coordinator from 2015 to 2019. Stephen Gostkowski was a member of the New England Patriots for fourteen seasons, from 2006 to 2019. Finally, Gostkowski’s run with the Patriots came to an end last season.

Gostkowski had season-ending hip surgery last season, ending his campaign after only four games. Gostkowski was still efficient before going down with injury, though. He was 7 of 8 on field-goal attempts. However, he struggled mightily with extra points, making only 11 of 15 attempts for by-far a career-worse 73.3%.

Stephen was always extremely efficient on extra points. He went nine full seasons from 2007 through 2015 without missing a single extra point and holds the NFL record for consecutive extra points with 479. Gostkowski’s historic career and connection with Joe Judge make him an enticing option for the New York Giants. However, his declining performance last season could be a reason for the Giants to stay away.

Nick Folk

Another former New England Patriot makes the shortlist: Nick Folk. Now, Nick Folk is not a long-time Patriots player like Gostkowski. However, he did spend 7 games with the team in 2019 and is still a free agent.

Nick Folk’s first game with the Patriots was in Week 9. He struggled in his first few games of the 2019 season. On his first 11 kicks, Folk made 8 of them. But he made 100% of his next 8 kicks in the Patriots’ final four games, including their playoff loss to the Titans. Folk’s longest kick of the 2019 season was 51 yards.

Nick Folk is another veteran kicker. He has been in the league since 2007 and is 35-years-old. He might not be a long-term solution for the Giants, but he can surely contribute some efficient special teams play in 2020.

Jon Brown

Jon Brown is a potential young, sleeper option at kicker. Brown has struggled to make an NFL roster since entering the league in 2016. However, there is a ton of untapped potential that the Giants could look to tap into.

At Louisville, Brown as an elite collegiate soccer player. He also served as a kicker on the Louisville Cardinal’s kickoff unit. He appeared in three games, kicked off 9 times, and averaged 62.8 yards per kickoff.

Brown got an opportunity at the NFL level in 2018 and he was pretty impressive. With the Cincinatti Bengals, Brown played in all four preseason games in 2018. He attempted 6 field goals and made all of them in that preseason. He also managed to nail a 55-yard bomb. Unfortunately, his impressive preseason was not enough, and Brown was waived prior to the regular season.

In December of 2019, Brown inked a reserve/futures contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Brown was then waived by the Jaguars in April of 2020. He has bounced around teams as a practice squad kicker. But now that the Giants seemingly have a huge vacancy at the position, they could give Brown a shot and see if he could elevate his game and be elevated from the practice squad.

New York Giants: Special Teams A Bright Spot In Poor 2019 Season

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New York Giants, Aldrick Rosas

The New York Giants are once again one of the worst teams in the NFL. After losing their 9th-straight game on Monday night, the 2019 Giants tied their franchise record for the longest losing streak. Offense and defense are both at fault here.

Both sides of the ball have underperformed in 2019. Whether that be because of a lack of talent or lack of coaching, regardless, both sides rank near the bottom of the league in terms of total yards gained and allowed. However, there is one part of the team that the Giants can take pride in.

The New York Giants’ special teams unit has been among the best in the league in 2019. Special teams coach Thomas McGaughey has done an excellent job with his unit of the team this year and should be the Giants’ top interim head coaching candidate if they do decide to fire head coach Pat Shurmur.

Special Teams Stats And Highlights

The Giants’ offense and defense are ranking in the high twenties or the bottom quarter of the league. However, the special teams unit has been quite the opposite. New York’s special teams rank in the top ten for just about every significant statistic.

Granted, Aldrick Rosas has had his struggles this year. The Giants’ third-year kicker missed a kick attempt in five straight games between Weeks 7 and 12. But he seems to be back on track, making 100% of his field goals and extra-point attempts in each of the last two games.

The Giants’ punt returners have done an excellent job this season. Golden Tate has served as the primary punt returner, but Jabrill Peppers took some snaps back there too before his season-ending injury. Whomever they’ve had back there has found success. The Giants rank 1st in the NFL with an average of 11.3 yards per punt return.

Additionally, the Giants’ kick returners have performed past expectations in 2019. The Gmen are averaging 23.7 yards per kick return, ranking 9th-best in the league.

Additionally, New York also has the top-ranked kickoff coverage in the NFL. Their kickoff coverage is allowing only 17.9 yards per return this season. Returning kicks and punts, or kicking off or punting to the other team, the Giants are excelling in every aspect of special teams.

Riley Dixon has silently emerged as one of the best punters in the NFL this season. He has arguably been the Giants’ most consistent and reliable player in 2019. Dixon even earned himself a contract extension. The Giants rank 6th in the NFL in net punting, with an average of 43.6 yards.

The New York Giants’ special teams has been among the league’s very best this season. The unit is a major bright spot for a disappointing 2-11 team. Giants fans should hope that the team’s offense and defense can rise to the special teams’ level in 2020.

New York Giants: What’s Wrong With Aldrick Rosas?

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New York Giants, Aldrick Rosas

The New York Giants are coming off of their seventh straight loss. They now sit at the bottom of the division with a putrid 2-9 record. Nothing has been going the Giants’ way, and they have shown little to no improvement since last season.

There is one area in particular, however, that the Giants have regressed tremendously. This area is the kicker position. Aldrick Rosas has taken a huge step back after an impressive season in 2018. 2019 has been an utter disappointment for Rosas.

Kicking Woes

Aldrick Rosas was an incredibly efficient kicker in 2018. Rosas attempted 33 field goals in 2018 and made 32 of them. This included an impressive 6/6 from 40-49 yards and 4/5 from 50 yards or greater. Additionally, Aldrick made 96.9% of his extra points or 31 of 32 attempts.

Rosas has been wildly inconsistent in 2019. Instead, he has been consistent- consistently bad. Aldrick Rosas has missed a kick in each of the last five games. In the Giants’ latest loss to the Bears, Rosas missed 2 field goals. That is 6 points that Rosas left off the board in a game that the Giants lost by 5 points.

Aldrick Rosas has made 8 of his 12 field goal attempts. On top of that, the Giants’ kicker has only made 21 of his 24 extra-point attempts. Aldrick’s significant regression this season has been surprising and confusing. Fans are wondering, what is wrong with their team’s once highly-efficient kicker?

What’s Wrong?

It is only right to point out, as Giants legend Lawrence Tynes has on Twitter, that there are four components to field goal kicking: a snap, a hold, a kick, and protection. While the majority of the blame falls on Aldrick’s shoulders, there is blame to be held by the rest of the Giants’ kicking team.

To start, the Giants’ veteran long snapper, Zak DeOssie, has not been having his best season. On one of the Giants’ missed field goals yesterday, DeOssie dragged the snap across the ground to the place holder. This mistake most certainly could have messed up the timing on Rosas’s kick attempt and affected his accuracy.

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Tynes also mentioned that it takes a certain mental toughness to be a reliable and consistent kicker. Aldrick Rosas has not seemed to have that mental toughness in the Giants’ recent games. Usually, a mentally tough player would make a mistake and not let it get to them, then correct it and move on. But Rosas missed two field goals in a row yesterday and did appear visibly upset.

It is understandable for Aldrick to be upset with himself in this situation. But he needs to respond with a good week in practice and a solid outing in next week’s game to prove his mental toughness. The way he will bounce back will prove his worth. At 2-9, with 5 games left on the schedule, no one’s job is safe. Aldrick Rosas has to step it up to keep his job next season.

New York Giants news, 11/25 – Aldrick Rosas in danger of losing job, and Jabrill Peppers in serious pain

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New York Giants, Aldrick Rosas

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

Once again, the New York Giants walked away with more negatives than positives on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. The coaching was once again questionable, the offensive line was terrible, and the wide receivers couldn’t get any separation from coverage. A new deficiency popped up this week, though, the kicking team.

Kicker Aldrick Rosas missed two consecutive field goals and then proceeded to kick one out of bounce on a kickoff, giving the Bears excellent field position. The first missed attempt can be coughed up to a bad snap, which could put Zak Deossi, the longest-tenured starting Giant, to lose his job after this season.

Rosas, though, is on the chopping block after his fifth consecutive game with a missed field goal. Coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2018, Rosas has regressed significantly, a major surprise. His two missed attempts ultimately killed any sense of momentum for the Giants early on in the game, which kept the game within one score for the Bears heading into the second half.

Jabrill Peppers goes down:

Peppers, who returned a punt 40-yards in the second quarter, was knocked out of the game with a hip injury. Golden Tate, who also returned a punt in the first quarter, was smacked in the face and was checked for a concussion. Head coach Pat Shurmur needs to consider the potential for injury one kick returns, and putting two influential players at risk of serious injury is ludicrous.

The New York Giants’ strong safety was seen in the locker room after the game in tremendous pain, trying to convince himself that he can tough it out.

“I’m tough. I’m hoping it’s something I can tough through,” Pepper stated.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Doug Rush – Giants vs. Bears Player of the Game: Kaden Smith

Ryan Dunleavy – Giants sink to familiar dark place in loss to Bears

Zack Rosenblatt – 7 Giants to blame in lackluster 19-14 loss to Bears: Pat Shurmur is disastrous, Saquon Barkley is (still) … off
Paul Schwartz – Giants report card: Pat Shurmur can’t get his team in sync

New York Giants: Three Best Fantasy Options for Week One

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

It’s Week 1 of the NFL’s regular season, and it’s also the start of Fantasy Football! Ahead of Sunday’s divisional matchup, here are the three best New York Giants‘ fantasy options for Week 1.

There’s plenty to look forward to as the first Sunday of NFL Football commences in Week 1. The New York Giants kick-off 2019 on the road against their divisional rival Dallas Cowboys. With Ezekiel Elliot back in action for Dallas, its a battle of the league’s two premier rushers with Saquon Barkley looking to pick up where he left off for New York.

Here’s hoping for a big divisional win for New York on Sunday, and there are plenty of options for those seeking a first win for their fantasy teams. Here are the three best Giants fantasy options on Sunday.

Saquon Barkley

No surprise here, if you were lucky enough to draw the top overall pick you likely ran with second-year Giants running back Saquon Barkley. And truth be told, absolutely no one should be questioning your reasoning. Saquon is the likely unanimous top pick in fantasy football this year, and last season’s track record provides the justification.

In his rookie season, Barkley ranked second among all running backs in fantasy points, ranked third with 15 rushing touchdowns and second with 1,307 rushing yards. By season’s end, Saquon averaged 18.4 fantasy points per game (fantasydata.com). A year ago, Dallas ranked 21st in rush defense, allowing opposing backs an average of 103 yards per game (teamrankings.com). As the focal point in the offense, expect Saquon to have a big day on Sunday.

Evan Engram

The offseason moves and how the roster has taken shape has all the makings of an Evan Engram breakout season (if he can stay healthy). Saquon Barkley cannot carry the load by himself, Odell Beckham Jr. is gone, and Golden Tate won’t see action until Week 5. Expect the offense to revolve heavily around Evan Engram through the first quarter of the season, starting on Sunday in Dallas.

Engram has averaged 7.4 fantasy points per game in his young career, but his two highest fantasy games a season ago came against the Cowboys (coincidence? I think not.) Evan Engram racked up 16.8 fantasy points in the season finale against Dallas last season, going for five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown (fantasydata.com). Expect Engram to be New York’s fantasy breakout candidate of 2019.

Aldrick Rosas

We’ve all had those fantasy moments where low and behold, its the kicker that seals the deal and helps come away with a close fantasy football victory. Come Week 1, that very well could be Aldrick Rosas. Rosas has been automatic for the New York Giants this preseason, converting all five field-goal attempts and all ten of his extra points (NFL.com/stats).

The Giants are the underdogs for a reason, and there’s the likelihood that they’re able to march down the field and yet get stalled near redzone territory. Have no fear, Rosas will be here to save the day. You may love them or hate them, but if kickers are part of your fantasy league make sure you have someone you can trust. For Week 1, in Aldrick Rosas we trust.

New York Giants: Who is the most underrated player on the team?

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New York Giants, Aldrick Rosas

If you take a look at the crosstown New York Jets, one of their most significant issues is at the kicker position. For the New York Giants, they have luckily been able to avoid any severe problems after Aldrick Rosas emerged as the starter for the foreseeable future during the 2018 season.

Hitting on 32 of 33 field-goal attempts last year, Rosas earned a Pro Bowl selection for his consistency. Sometimes, it is easy to forget how valuable a kicker can be and the struggles that most teams go through trying to find a successful one.

The difference between having a reliable kicker and not can ultimately cost wins during the regular season. Winning and losing in the NFL can be marginal, which makes that extra three points or six points per game a significant factor. When it comes to Rosas, his confidence is sky high, and he seems ready to take on the tall task of being a starting player in New York.

How has New York Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas looked this preseason?

Hitting on all of his attempts during the preseason, Rosas has proved he can be a Pro Bowl level talent for the Giants moving forward, the punter position is a bit more murky, with Riley Dixon being the player of choice at the spot. For fantasy purposes, Rosas is a mediocre option due to the caution in regards to the Giants offense and their potential production.

The hopes are that Rosas can be a trusted option at the end of games when the score is tied up, and the Giants are in field-goal position. He hasn’t been tested much in that category, which requires a lot more poise and precision. Having the confidence to hit at the end of the game when winning or losing is on the line, is the difference between a good and great kicker.

New York Giants Lock up Several Quality Players Ahead of Free Agency

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The NFL’s new league year begins on March 13th. That is the day that NFL teams can officially sign free agents and make trades. Until then, teams can only communicate with their own players and impending free agents.

With the new league year coming up, the New York Giants have gotten to work resigning their free agents (or letting them walk for nothing). On Wednesday, the Giants made a few decisions on their exclusive rights free agents.

Aldrick Rosas

One of the Giants’ top in-house free agents this offseason was their kicker, Aldrick Rosas. The Giants officially tendered Rosas on Wednesday. This move brings him back next season at the minimum salary.

This move was a no-brainer for the Giants. Aldrick Rosas was arguably the best kicker in the NFL last season. Rosas had a 97% field goal percentage in 2018, making 32 of his 33 attempts. Aldrick was Pro Football Focus’s highest graded kicker of the season with an 88.7 overall grade.

Week 13 was Rosas’s best game of the season. He won Special Teams Player of the Week. In week 13, Rosas went 3/3 on field goals, including a game-winner in overtime. Aldrick even nailed a 57-yard field goal at the end of the first half, which was a franchise record for the longest field goal in Giants history.

If Rosas can perform like this again in 2019, expect him to get a proper long-term extension next offseason.

Corey Coleman

The Giants signed Corey Coleman back in November after he had been cut by the Buffalo Bills. Coleman has had a tough time staying on a roster. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2016 but played there for only two seasons. He never even made the Bills’ 53 man roster.

Once the Giants signed him, Coleman got limited playing time. He played in 8 games and caught 5 passes for 71 yards. Coleman also fielded 23 kickoffs. He showed the potential to be a great kick returner for the Giants in the future.

According to Ian Rapoport, Corey Coleman showed enough flashes in his short stint to warrant a longer look from the Giants. Along with Rosas and the others, Coleman received his tender on Wednesday worth $2.025 million. The Giants will be hoping to turn Coleman into a legitimate receiving threat in 2019.

Jon Halapio

The Giants’ starting center at the beginning of the season went down with a season-ending injury in week 2.

GM Dave Gettleman has noted on multiple occasions how well Jon Halapio was playing prior to breaking his leg. According to Pro Football Focus, Halapio had the 3rd best pass blocking grade (85.2) from week 1 among centers with at least 50 offensive snaps.

Jon Halapio will likely be the Giants’ starting center in 2019. This is why he received an exclusive rights tender to keep him around for the 2019 NFL season. If Jon Halapio can prove that his 2 weeks of solid play in 2018 were not a fluke, Halapio could potentially play his way into a long-term contract extension in 2019.

Elijhaa Penny

The Giants tendered exclusive rights free agent Elijhaa Penny as well. Penny was the Giants’ fullback in 2018. Penny is a solid receiving fullback who can contribute as a blocker, too.

He was Pro Football Focus‘s 4th highest graded fullback in 2018 with an overall grade of 68.6. He is a versatile fullback who performed well in 2018. Penny could be the fullback for the Giants for years to come if he continues to play at this level.

New York Giants: Which Are Players Set To Become Free Agents In 2019

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The New York Giants have a crucial offseason coming up for the future of their franchise. They will have to make multiple tough decisions in 2019, such as who to cut and whether or not to find a new quarterback. Along with that, they will need to decide who they want to resign and who they want to let walk in free agency.

When The Giants Can Start Signing Players:

The 2019 New League Year is on March 13 at 4:00 p.m. This is when all contracts expire and players officially become free agents. Teams can negotiate new deals with their players beginning on March 11. March 13 is the first official day of free agency. The Giants will need to have made decisions on their soon-to-be free agents by that date.

New York Giants With Expiring Contracts:

The Giants have 25 players with expiring contracts this offseason.  Among those 25 players are multiple starters. Players such as Landon Collins, Cody Latimer, Jamon Brown, B.W. Webb, Jon Halapio, Aldrick Rosas, Curtis Riley, Corey Coleman, Elijah Penny, Josh Mauro, and Zack DeOssie are starters on the 2018 Giants who will be free agents this offseason.

In addition to the starters just listed, plenty of depth players have expiring contracts also. Mario Edwards, Kerry Wynn, Russell Shepard, John Greco, Nathan Stupar, John Jenkins, Scott Simonson, Bennie Fowler, Alex Tanney, Kristjan Sokoli, Jordan Williams, Antonio Hamilton, Spencer Pulley, and Alonzo Russell are depth players for the Giants with expiring contracts.

Key Players For The Giants To Resign:

Among these 25 players are a couple of Pro Bowlers and key starters. Landon Collins is a former all-pro who will be looking for a big payday this offseason. In addition, Pro Bowl kicker Aldrick Rosas will look to get paid handsomely after being the best kicker in the NFL in 2018. These are two key, extraordinary players that the Giants will look to resign.

Aside from the Pro Bowl caliber players, the Giants will need to resign a few other starters this offseason. A pair of solid offensive linemen will need new contracts in 2019, Jamon Brown and Jon Halapio.

Jamon Brown was acquired by the Giants during their bye week in 2018. He was a massive improvement over their former starting guard, and quickly became a fan favorite. As soon as Brown stepped on the field for the Giants, the teams started to win and Eli Manning started to play better. Jamon Brown is a player that the Giants must resign in 2019.

Jon Halapio is a quality center who went down with a leg injury in week two of the 2018 NFL season. He was playing the best out of any of the team’s lineman through the first two weeks, and Dave Gettleman was quick to point that out in his post-season presser. The Giants plan to move forward with Halapio as their starting center, so expect to see him get resigned in 2019.

New York Giants: Olivier Vernon To Play In The Pro Bowl As An Alternate

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New York Giants, Olivier Vernon

The NFL announced the 2018 Pro Bowl rosters last month and three New York Giants were selected as starters. Saquon Barkley, Landon Collins, and Aldrick Rosas were voted to be starters.

Collins will be unable to participate due to injury, so the Giants were without a starter on defense in the Pro Bowl. That was until Khalil Mack of the Chicago Bears informed the league he will be unable to participate due to injury. A New York Giants pass rusher by the name of Olivier Vernon will start in Mack’s place.

Highlights From Olivier Vernon’s 2018 Season

Olivier Vernon dealt with injuries at the beginning of the season. He missed the first five games of the year with an ankle injury. However, when Vernon got on the field, he was the Giants’ best pass rusher.

Vernon finished the season with 7 sacks and 30 combined tackles in 11 games. He also added a forced fumble, five tackles for loss, and 21 quarterback hits. Vernon did not total a lot of sacks, but he did total a high number of quarterback pressures. Pro Football Focus gave Vernon a well above-average grade of 86.3, making him the 14th ranked edge defender in the NFL in 2018.

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Olivier Vernon Controversy

Being voted in as an alternate was a bit of a head-scratcher for Giants fans. Giants fans have been very critical of Vernon over the past two seasons. He has lacked top dollar productivity despite having a cap hit of $16 million. On top of that, Vernon has not been on the field enough to make a serious and consistent impact. He has missed nine games in the last two seasons, making Giants fans wonder what the team is paying for. The answer is that they are paying for an edge defender who will consistently pressure the quarterback. The issue is that he usually does not finish the play. A combined 13.5 sacks in the past 23 games is not worth $16 million in the eyes of Giants Nation.

Despite all this, Vernon is a Pro Bowler. Luckily for the Giants fans who want to see Vernon off the team next season, Vernon’s Pro Bowl nod makes that even more of a possibility. Fans vote for the Pro Bowl rosters, but so do players and coaches. Vernon making the Pro Bowl in 2018 shows that he has the respect of many players and coaches around the league. This should greatly boost his trade value and make it easier to move on from the edge rusher in 2019.